A Meta-Analysis of Computer-Assisted Word Reading Interventions for Elementary School Students: Effects on Accuracy, Fluency, and Comprehension

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 9:45 am - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Reading, Writing, and Literacy Instruction

Abstract

This meta-analysis explores the effect sizes of computer-assisted word reading interventions on different reading-related outcomes (i.e., letter knowledge, phonemic awareness, word reading and pseudoword decoding, sentence and text reading, and spelling). The meta-analysis included 67 studies published between 1995 to 2023 and involved elementary school students from diverse linguistic backgrounds. The analysis found evidence of transfer effects on reading comprehension, with a small but significant pooled effect size of g = 0.21 (k = 67). The analysis showed a high heterogeneity of effect sizes, particularly within studies, and suggested that intervention duration, pseudo-word level as outcome, and reading speed may moderate results. The outcomes of this synthesis indicate that computer-based word-reading interventions positively affect reading accuracy and fluency.

Authors

• Ali Jahanaray, Clemson University

• Alireza Kassirian, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• Mohammad Jahanaray, Virginia Commonwealth University